A teenager with terminal cancer is in a race against time to complete his 'bucket list' and raise £1 million for charity.

Stephen Sutton was diagnosed with colorectal cancer in 2010 when he was 15.

But despite having the tumour removed from his bowel it returned the next year, and doctors told him he would be unlikely to survive more than a few years.

Mr Sutton's story captured the hearts of the nation when he declared he wanted to tick off a particular part of his bucket list - raising £1m for charity to 'prove there has been some purpose to my short life'

Stephen (pictured with comedian Jimmy Carr) has been battling cancer since the age of 15. Within six months he underwent a hemicolectomy to remove a tumour from his bowel

Stephen organised a World Record Attempt for the World's longest continuous group drum roll

Last January the fun loving teenager drew up his bucket list of 46 tasks to complete before he dies.

He has already ticked off 35 of the 46 tasks and he is desperately trying to finish number one on the list - of raising £1million for the Teenage Cancer Trust.

Stephen, from Burntwood, Staffordshire, has already raised £572,000 after cataloguing his progress on Facebook.

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Among the activities he has achieved include 'hugging an animal bigger than himself' when he embraced an elephant at West Midlands Safari Park, and appearing as an extra in the BBC daytime drama Doctors after he wrote to the producers.

He has also played the drums in front of 90,000 people at last year’s Bayern Munich v Borussia Dortmund Champions League final at Wembley.

He has also met Jimmy Carr, crowd-surfed in a rubber dinghy, ridden a Segway, delivered a speech about cancer at Number 10 Downing Street, gone on a lads’ holiday and been busking.

Last January the fun loving teenager drew up his bucket list of 46 tasks to complete before he dies - including taking part in a skydive

Stephen Sutton hugging a three and a half tonne elephant at West Midlands Safari Park

In a tongue-in-cheek swipe at his illness to complete number 23 on his list he had a pair of scissors tattooed on the operational scars that run along his body

In a tongue-in-cheek swipe at his illness to complete number 23 on his list he had a pair of scissors tattooed on the operational scars that run along his body.

He said: 'I started the list because I wanted to try and raise as much money as I could for Teenage Cancer Trust.

'I was quite confident I would be able to do that but I never thought I would get to over half-a-million, that is just crazy bu I’m determined to hit the million pound mark.

'I made my bucket list in January, just on a random date and put all these things down, I am close to completing it which I never thought was possible.

Stephen Sutton with Theo Walcott (left) and Frank Lampard (right) during the Brazil vs England at Wembley February 6 2013

The teenager has his portrait drawn. He said: 'I started the list because I wanted to try and raise as much money as I could for Teenage Cancer Trust'

Stephen Sutton gave a speech at Downing Street July 17 2013

COLORECTAL CANCER: HOW TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM ONE OF THE MOST DEADLIEST DISEASES

Bowel cancer, also known as colorectal cancer, is the third most common cancer in the UK, and also one of the most preventable forms of the disease, World Cancer Research Fund says.

in 2011, 42,747 cases of bowel cancer were diagnosed. Scientists estimate that about half of all bowel cancer cases in the UK - over 20,000 - could be prevented by maintaining a healthy weight, choosing a healthy diet, not drinking alcohol and being physically active.

Many different factors contribute to the development of bowel cancer, with some of the most important factors being every day lifestyle choices such as diet.

World Cancer Research Fund, a charity which gives advice on how cancer can be prevented through diet, physical activity and weight, found that lifestyle factors that can increase the risk of developing bowel cancer include being: overweight or obese, lack of physical activity, diets low in fibre, diets high in red and processed meat, drinking alcohol, smoking.

Other factors include age, family history of bowel cancer, or personal history of polyps or inflammatory bowel disease.

For more information about how to reduce the risk of developing bowel cancer, visit WCRF’s advice page on colorectal cancer.

'The one that got me going and was a real thrill was playing the drums at Wembley.

'It was during the opening ceremony of the Champions League Final and the noise was amazing, walking onto the pitch, being a part of that is something I will never forget.

'My family and friends are fully behind me and really supportive which is great.

'My cancer obviously changed me and I realised that I would regret the things I didn’t do, I don’t want to take anything for granted and I don’t plan to.

'I have just finished another round of chemotherapy and I am currently on lots of medication, but I am used to that.

'I like to think I have motivated people to fund raise and do what I have done, if I can do it, anyone can, I know that my positivity is rubbing off on people and that feels brilliant.

'I really hope I can complete my bucket list and that is what I plan to do, but first and foremost, I want to raise as much money as possible and get to a million, it will help others, save others and change people’s lives.'

To complete his bucket list, Stephen needs to tick off 11 more activities.

His next ambition on the list is to make it into the Guinness Book of Records by taking part in the biggest ever tandem skydive with over 251 people.